Top 10 U.S. News Stories

10. The Moore, Okla. Tornado

Sue Ogrocki / AP

Like most tornados, the storm that tore through Moore, Okla. on May 20 arrived with little advance notice. Though forecasters knew the conditions were present for a potentially dangerous twister, it wasn’t until 2:40 p.m. that the National Weather Service issued its most serious warning: a “tornado emergency.” 16 minutes later, the storm barrelled through the Oklahoma City suburb, flattening homes, whipping cars into the air and collapsing an elementary school to rubble. By the time it ended, 24 people were dead, including nine children. But as so often happens in moments of crisis, the storm brought out the best in people. Teachers threw their bodies over students as the elementary school caved in and residents and first-responders rushed to dig their neighbors out of the rubble. “You…